Pandemic suggestions for home learning - Keep it Simple, FREE, and calm

Journals
-Dear Diary...day to day activities
-gratitude journal
-food blog - what are you eating while home for the pandemic
-favorite recipes
-daily blog
-feelings
-worries
-log of birds in the neighborhood (walk at different types of days, can use in math

Story-telling
-write a story and read to family or friends over the phone, Zoom, Google Hang-out or social media if you're into that kinda thing
-write a story for younger siblings, cousins and read it to them
-Story starters
1) give three stickies or small papers per person, each person writes a character, a setting/place, an action/verb. Pull out a character, a setting, and an action and tell the story. They can be really funny.
2) make your own Mad-libs (write a story then take out key nouns, verbs, adverbs, places and have someone fill in for a funny story

Interviews
-technology, scientific changes that have affected their lives
-what's most important in finding and keeping good friends
-famous people from their time
-what was a typical day in the life when they were a child
-family or neighborhood traditions, games, sports
-how they got through hard times, dealt with friendship problems
-jobs and education they wished they had pursued
-transportation then and now
-favorite trips, places they'd wished they had traveled
-tell and listen to family stories
-favorite recipes
-how they got over fears
-favorite people and why they liked them so much
-favorite things to read and learn about
-a funny story from their childhood
-how to deal with death of a pet, friend, or loved one

Measurement
-independent non-standard measurement: -brainstorm different things you can use to measure things (string, yarn, hand, finger, feet, breaths, heart-beats, running track, counting, claps, line of sight, able to hear a certain distance, able to smell a certain distance) have them measure as many things as they can, let them get creative each day and jot down different things they are measuring and how they can measure it - talk about how something could be five hands and yet only be three feet lengths. Why?
-They may realize they need a tool that is more standard, ask them to repeat measurements above using a ruler or measuring tape (can be paper) / stop-watch /clock how does that change the way they measure?
Measurement project ideas: measure a room, estimate how much paint it would take to repaint. Estimate how much it would cost in time and materials
-create jumps for little or RC cars, measure slope (older kids)
-measure a room and create a scale map of bedroom, cut out scaled furniture on paper - can describe the measurements to a friend and see if they can draw your bedroom and/or challenge sibling, cousin or friend to come up with a redesign using items you already have
-cook favorite recipes, comfort food, or create healthier options of favorites since stuck at home. If baking, only give child 1/4 or 1/3 cup and have them add together to try and make 1 cup called for in the recipe (repeated addition how many 1/4 cups to make 1 cup? How many tsp to make a T?)
-measure home, make a map of yard, apartment complex, favorite walking route (estimate)
-elapsed time - create a schedule
-measuring cups in bathtub

What are your favorite activities for learning more about yourself, your community while home?